Article Author:
The Associated Press
Stefanie Dazio And Mariam Fam
First was the murder of a Muslim man from Afghanistan . Year. Then in the last two weeks he had two more murders. A man from Pakistan who attended the same mosque in Albuquerque, New Mexico.
These deaths were followed by the killing of his fourth Muslim man in nine months in the city on Friday. These killings have sent ripples of terror through Muslim communities inside and outside New Mexico, igniting a race to find out who is responsible.
Authorities on Monday identified the latest victim as they searched a vehicle believed to be involved in the killing. A common factor was the victims' race and religion, officials said.
Naeem Hussain was killed on Friday night and his three other men died in an ambush. Police in New Mexico's largest city are trying to determine if the deaths are related. leader Debbie Almonzer wrote on Twitter. "Who's next?"
In a phone interview, Almontaser said a female friend who lives in Michigan and wears a hijab head shared with her over the weekend. "She was like, 'This is so scary. I'm so scared. I travel alone,'" Almontaser said.
Hussein, 25, was from Pakistan. His death came days after Muhammad Afzar Hussein, 27, and Aftab Hussein, 41, who were also from Pakistan and were members of the same mosque.
The earliest incident was the November killing of Mohammad Ahmadi, 62, from Afghanistan.
Anila Abad, general secretary of the Islamic Center in New Mexico, staggered from the killing, saying her grief was exacerbated by the confusion and fear that might follow.
" We are completely shocked and trying to understand what happened, how and why," she said.
Some people refrain from going out unless it is "absolutely necessary," and some Muslim college students question whether it is safe to stay in cities. Some people do, she said. Security has also been strengthened at the center.
Police said they suspected the same vehicle had been used in all four murders. His four-door Volkswagen in dark gray or silver, with dark windows that look like a Jetta or Passat. Authorities released the photos in hopes of helping people identify the car, and offered a $20,000 reward for information leading to an arrest.
Investigators said the images were He did not say where the film was shot or why he suspected the car was involved in the killing. Police spokesperson Gilbert Gallegos said in an email Monday that the agency had received information about the vehicle but did not provide any details. We have a very strong connection," Albuquerque Mayor Tim Keller said Sunday. "We have a vehicle of interest... we have to find this vehicle." said he could not comment on whether he knew.
President Joe Biden said he was "angry and saddened" by the killings and said his administration was "strongly supportive of the Islamic community."
"These hateful attacks have no place in America," Biden said in a tweet Sunday.
Safety topics also dominated the WhatsApp and email groups Almontaser was a part of.
"What happened in New Mexico is very chilling to us as a Muslim minority community in the United States that has endured so much backlash and discrimination since the 9/11 attacks. It's like," she said. "It's terrifying."
Records in Albuquerque over the past five years, according to her FBI data cited by Brian Levin, director of the Center for Hate and Extremism Studies. Few anti-Muslim hate crimes have been committed. Professor of Criminal Justice at California State University, San Bernardino.
From 2017 to 2020, he had one hate crime against Muslims in his year. The most recent high was in 2016, when Albuquerque police recorded 6 of a total of 25 hate crimes.
This marks his lowest figure in this decade in 2020, and in 2021 he will have a national It's pretty much in line with the trend, Levin said.
Albuquerque officials say they cannot determine whether a killing is a hate crime until they identify a suspect and motive.
Louis Schlesinger, professor of forensic psychology at John Jay College of Criminal Justice in New York, states that prejudice kills a minority of people, typically said it was often performed by young white men. Lone perpetrators are rare.
"They are basically complete losers in every way, socially, economically, psychologically," he said. “They are filled with hate for some reason, and they target specific groups who see in their own hearts responsibility for all the problems in life.”
Victims become attackers It was not clear whether he knew
The most recent victim was found dead after police received a gunshot call. Authorities declined to say whether the killings were carried out in a manner similar to other deaths.
Muhammad Afzaal Hussain said he was on the field of campaigning for local councilors. I worked as an organizer for
Democratic Rep. Melanie Stansbury released his statement, praising him as "one of the kindest, hardworking people ever." She said city planners are "dedicated to making sure our public spaces work for everyone and cleaning up legacy pollution."
North of Albuquerque As land use director for the city of Espanola, which is more than 85 miles (137 kilometers) away, Hussein has worked to improve conditions and inclusion for disadvantaged minorities, the mayor's office said.
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Dazio reported from Los Angeles and Pham from Winter Park, Florida. Associated Press reporter Lindsey Whitehurst of Washington and AP News researchers Rhonda Schaffner and Jennifer Farrar of New York contributed to this report.
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